Lime-Glazed Shortbread Cookies are scrumptious! Buttery and melt-in-your-mouth with a bright fresh sweet-tangy burst of citrus flavour. Perfect for a tea, shower, potluck, or holiday cookie-exchange. And they make a perfect gift.

I’ve been making shortbread cookies for over 30 years from the old Noreen Gilletz Food Processor cookbook (from back in the 80’s I think). I decided to give them a little tweak and, boy, am I glad I did. Rave reviews! All I added was some lime zest in the dough and a lime glaze on the cookies. Just enough, it seems, to take them to a whole new level. The sweet-tart lime glaze is a perfect match for the mouth-watering shortbread.

As if a seriously good cookie isn’t enough, making these cookies couldn’t be easier and quicker. I call them shortcut cookies for two reasons: first, the dough takes less than 3 minutes if you use a processor; and second, you don’t need to wrap, chill and roll the dough as with many other shortbread recipes. So the whole recipe takes less than 30 minutes with only 6 ingredients.

These are good cookies. My husband is already complaining that there aren’t enough (I made them last night and froze them for the upcoming holidays). He’s not too happy about having to wait. (Of course I let him taste one! That’s why he wants more).

Tailor To Your Taste

Use lemon instead of lime
I used 2 teaspoons of maple syrup in the glaze to add more depth (totally optional)
If you want the glaze to look glossy, add a 1/2 tablespoon corn syrup (also optional)
Add more lime zest if you want to step up the zestiness even more.

Make Ahead

These cookies freeze beautifully for a month in a ziploc bag or locked container.

Lime-Glazed Shortbread Cookies (Shortcut) Recipe

Created by Cheryl on December 18, 2017

Lime-Glazed Shortbread Cookies are scrumptious! Buttery and melt-in-your-mouth with a bright fresh sweet-tangy burst of citrus flavour.

Prep Time:8m
Cook Time:16m
Total Time:30m

Yield: 35 two-inch cookies
Category: desserts, make ahead, snack, under 30 minutes, vegetarian

Ingredients

1 cup room temperature salted butter (2 sticks). If using unsalted, add 1/4 tsp salt.
1/2 cup icing (confectioners) sugar
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon lime zest

Lime Glaze

1/2 cup icing (confectioner) sugar)
4 teaspoons lime juice
2 teaspoons lime zest
2 teaspoons maple syrup (OPTIONAL)
1/2 tablespoon corn syrup (OPTIONAL) - makes glaze glossy

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F
MAKE COOKIE DOUGH: In a processor, process butter and icing sugar until creamy smooth, about 1 minute. Add vanilla, cornstarch, lime zest and flour. Pulse with quick on/off turns just until dough starts to get crumbly and ingredients are combined. Empty onto a cutting board or parchment paper and gently shape dough together into one big blob.
FORM COOKIES: Line a large cookie sheet/pan (17" x 12") with parchment paper. Or use two pans. Using clean hands, break off a small piece of dough, roll into a 1 1/2 inch ball. Place on cookie sheet. Repeat until all dough is gone. I make 35 balls that all fit in one large plan. With tines of a fork, flatten balls to just over 1/4 inch and make a criss-cross pattern. (Tip: dip fork into flour if dough is sticky).
BAKE AND COOL: Bake cookies in middle rack for 16 minutes or until edges are starting to lightly brown. Transfer to cooling rack.
MAKE GLAZE: While cookies are baking, mix glaze ingredients together with whisk or fork. When cookies are cooled (if you can wait!), brush glaze on each cookie with a pastry brush. Glaze will harden in about 30 minutes. At this point, store or freeze cookies in ziploc bag or container.